Enjoy Nishiki Market and Gion with the best food walking tour in Kyoto! Croquette, Kyoto-style omelet, sake, shopping, secret Gion, and Japanese sweets — this is the ultimate Nishiki Market food tour experience.

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Known as "Kyoto's Kitchen," Nishiki Market is the largest traditional food market in the ancient capital and a must-visit for any food lover.

Food is a wonderful way to get to know a country, and Japanese cuisine is one of its greatest attractions. In Kyoto, the top destination for food lovers is Nishiki Market. With more than 100 shops and restaurants, it's the best place to discover real Japanese food. You can go by yourself, but joining one of the area's food tours is highly recommended so you can learn about the neighborhood in depth while eating authentic local food.

What Is Nishiki Market Like?

Nishiki Market is known as "Kyoto's Kitchen" and is the largest traditional food market in the ancient city. Unlike other markets that are wider or circular, Nishiki Market is a narrow, 400-meter-long shopping street lined by 130 shops and restaurants. The market is 1,300 years old, so some of its shops have been passed down from generation to generation with traditional recipes. You'll also find newer shops, such as one dedicated to Snoopy! You can find all kinds of food ingredients in the market, including meat, vegetables, fruit, dried food, snacks, and alcoholic drinks.

In the surroundings of Nishiki Market there is abundant groundwater — one reason the market formed here hundreds of years ago, when people used the groundwater to keep food fresh before refrigerators existed. Many shops still have direct connections to this groundwater today. Unlike Toyosu Market in Tokyo, Nishiki Market has no fish auction, and stores usually open between 9-10 a.m. and close around 5-6 p.m., so you don't have to wake up early.

Must-Try Foods at Nishiki Market

[Yuba Sashimi] Yuba sashimi is literally tofu skin, and its taste and texture can be unusual for foreigners. But don't worry — there are also delicious donuts made with soy milk, so soft and tasty that almost everyone likes them.

[Sesame Crackers] There are few things with a more Japanese flavor than the famous sesame crackers. The shop also serves chestnut tea and delicious rice with chestnuts, a seasonal specialty of autumn.

[Hamo (Pike Conger)] This high-grade summer fish of the Kansai region is delicate and delicious — even those who aren't passionate about fish will be impressed.

[Kyoto-Style Omelet] Unlike the sweeter omelet prepared in Tokyo, Kyoto's omelet has a salty taste, a distinctive regional flavor.

[Sake] Served in a traditional wooden cup called "masu," sake here is light and smooth. Before leaving, the guide gives you the masu cup printed with the tour name as a souvenir.

[Japanese Sweets] What better way to end a food tour than with traditional Japanese sweets? Mochi is made from rice paste and eaten throughout Japan, but cinnamon mochi is unique to Kyoto. And of course, matcha green tea is a must.

Highlights: Nishiki Tenmangu & Secret Gion

At the end of the market stands Nishiki Tenmangu, a Shinto shrine that protects the shops and restaurants of the market — some of the lanterns at its entrance bear the names of businesses you'll have seen along the way. The tour also ends in Gion — not the tourist-filled area everyone knows, but the "secret Gion," where you'll learn curiosities about the geishas of the area.

Overall

Even after multiple visits to Kyoto, Nishiki Market can remain an undiscovered gem. Unlike Tsukiji Market (or the new Toyosu Market) in Tokyo, Nishiki Market isn't hugely known among tourists, but once you visit, you'll wonder how you missed it. Going with a local guide lets you talk to locals, understand the culture more deeply, and create priceless memories. The Nishiki Market tour costs only about 9,500 yen including all the food mentioned above — pretty cheap for the amount you eat. If you have allergies or a specific diet (such as vegan or Muslim), inform them in advance and they'll guide you to suitable foods.